[unreadable] Roger Williams Medical Center and the University of Reno propose hosting a unique wetlab workshop and symposium entitled: "Challenges in the Era of Stem Cell Plasticity: Study, interpretation, and significance; clinical prospects; ethical issues. Drs. Esmail Zanjani and Peter J. Quesenberry are organizing the meeting, which will include two days of wetlab workshops for 20-30 participants focusing on the specific methods to determine the origin and nature of engrafted cells in stem cell plasticity experiments. These approaches will include male/female fluorescent in-situ hybridization, green fluorescent protein studies, and the use of beta galactosidase employing fluorescent microscopic techniques including deconvolution fluoresence microscopy. This wetlab workshop will be followed by a two-day symposium, which will address the issues of the basic nature of and potential clinical use of embryonic stem cells versus adult stem cells. Speakers will address the murine, primate and human embryonic stem cell systems, this will be followed by a number of general talks on the basic nature of adult stem cells and the different systems we study, and followed by specific presentations on the use of adult stem cells for tissue restoration in a variety of systems including brain, lung, heart, liver, gut, skin, and pancreas. We will finish with a section on the clinical potential of stem cell tissue restoration in gastrointestinal, neurological, pulmonary, cardiac, and skin diseases. Dr. Irving Weissman will end the conference with a general overview. Participants will include investigators in the basic biology of stem cells, clinical transplanters, and clinician investigators. The workshops and symposium will be held in Providence, Rhode Island on April 8, 9, 10 & 11, 2003 [unreadable] [unreadable]